As the weekend nears, the theater department is preparing for its first show of the year. Dearly Departed will debut this Friday, Oct. 15 in the Black Box Theater.

David Bottrell and Jesse Jones’ Dearly Departed is set somewhere south of the Mason Dixon Line. It tells the story of Bud Turpin’s funeral and its aftermath.

“The father figure of this family passes away and then this family has to come together to get ready for the funeral, but it is a pretty dysfunctional family, so hilarity ensues,” director Christopher Rogers said.

Once Bud Turpin passes on, the play continues as his extended family responds to his death.